Safe Celebrations

’Tis the season to keep your dog secure and healthy.

Aah, the holidays. A time to celebrate with family and friends, reflect on the past year — and holiday-proof your home.

Yes, it’s true: Holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah present a surprising number of risks to dogs, from toxic people food to stress from too many visitors.

Kimberly Rawson of Bend, Ore., makes it a point to prepare her Bulldogs, Tate, Hayden, and Emma, for guests. “I have found that taking them out for a long walk, or a trip to the dog park for an hour or so, helps to lower the energy in the house,” she says. “We also have a special area in the house specifically for them, and each dog has their own ‘room’” — a crate.

Rawson is on to something, says Erica Reineke, VMD, assistant professor of critical care emergency service at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

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